CBC to nearly triple Cancon spending in 2017-18

The broadcaster has laid out plans to allocate $92 million annually for the next four years toward the creation of Canadian-made content.

The CBC has revealed a breakdown of how it plans to allocate its increased funding from the Liberal government, assigning $92 million (out of $150 million) to the creation of Cancon in each fiscal year from 2017-18 to 2020-21.

Last March, the Liberal government announced plans to invest $675 million in CBC over five years, beginning with $75 million in 2016-17 and $150 million in each of the following four years. In terms of its Cancon spending, the CBC has invested $36 million in 2016-17, though that is set to increase sharply.

In an “Accountability Plan” released on Wednesday, the broadcaster said it had earmarked the $92 million for the funding of Canadian-made feature films, especially in English Canada, TV drama such as Alias Grace and 21 Thunder, docuseries such as We are Canada and Becoming Canadian and the creation of more indigenous content.

In addition, CBC said its near-tripled Cancon pot will be used give additional support for official languages minority communities, put more diverse voices on its radio channels, as well as launching the first phase of Prochaine géneration/Next generation, which is a lab for the creation of journalistic content made by young millennials for millennials.

The broadcaster also plans to invest $24 million in 2017-18 on enhancing key programs and services, such as CBC radio, with the intention of investing more in new programming and reducing the number of repeats. It will also invest in digital services in certain markets, starting with London, ON, which are currently without CBC service, as well as reinvesting in certain markets where previous cuts were significant.

Elsewhere, CBC said it would allocate $34 million in 2017-18, up from $27 million in 2016-17, toward showcasing athletes from the Olympics and Paralympics, continuing to hire digital digital creators and ensuring financial stability that will allow CBC to keep certain shows and services up and running.